Apprenticeship on Veg and Cut Flower Farm in CT

Eddy Farm is a small, diversified vegetable and cut flower farm in central Connecticut. We specialize in community scale production of excellent produce which we sell through our bustling roadside farm stand and flowers accompanied by professional floral design, local wholesale, and a weekly flower share. We grow without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers, instead relying on soil fertility balance through the use of natural amendments and integrative pest management. We are a family operation on a historic piece of land, entering our sixth season.

Please join us for the 2016 growing season! The apprenticeship could start anytime between the end of May and the beginning of July, and will continue through the end of October. You must be available for the entire length of the apprenticeship to be considered.

This is an opportunity to work closely with us on a relatively small but organized operation. Our daily summer work is based around the opening, support, and closing of our farm stand, which is open every day from July through October, as well as the creation and delivery of fresh market bouquets twice per week and the design and delivery of weddings on many weekends. You do not need to have experience in floral design, only interest in learning what we have to teach.

You will be expected to:

• Harvest, clean, and pack produce for the farm stand
• Harvest and prepare cut flowers for bouquets and weddings
• Set up, support and break down the farm stand display
• Assist lead designer with the preparation of hand tied bouquets
• Assist with the design and execution of wedding flowers, as well as the delivery and setup at the wedding venues
• General crop maintenance, including weeding, irrigation, and fertilizing
• Tractor work, including harvesting, tilling, and general farm tasks

Who you are:

• Motivated about the local food and local flower movement
• Smart, curious, and able to make and take a joke (seriously, we’ll ask you in the interview)
• At least one farming season under your belt preferred
• Highly interested in adding to your repertoire of life skills
• Able to work long hours in the hot sun, sometimes in a greenhouse, lifting 50 lbs repeatedly
• Satisfied by a tangible hard day’s work
• A background in visual art (whether personal, educational or professional) is preferred

We are a family with two young children. Most days we all work as a team, headed by one of us either in the field or in the studio, but you are expected to be a good crew member as well as someone capable of self-direction and working alone.

We provide on-farm housing in a private room with a separate bathroom and shower, laundry, wifi and a common area. Three delicious home cooked meals are served each day. Apprentices work 6 days per week with a shared weekday off. A stipend of up to $500/month will be paid based on your experience.

You must have your own transportation, valid license, and health insurance.